GameCentral readers reveal what games have been so good they’ve bought an entire new console to play them on, from Halo to Resident Evil.

The talking point for this weekend’s Inbox was suggested by reader Luma, who asked what have been your personal ‘killer apps’ when buying new hardware. Although there may have been other contributory factors what games have been the primary reason you’ve bought a new system, and why?

There were no restrictions on what generation of consoles you were talking about, so we had people writing in about why they bought everything from a SNES to an Xbox One. There were also quite a few reasons given for buying a Wii U, despite its current troubles.

Software first
Resident Evil 4 made me go out and buy a GameCube. The game looked amazing in every screenshot I saw in magazines, then the game received amazing reviews when it launched and I knew it was a gaming landmark and I had to purchase the only machine that could play it.

I felt slightly cheated when shortly afterwards the game was announced on a machine I already owned, the PlayStation 2. If only Nintendo could have kept Resident Evil 4 for themselves they would have sold a lot more GameCubes, because that game was so astounding and the original release was probably the best version to play.

I think killer apps still have the power to sell systems. Look at what happened with The Last of Us only recently. A lot of people bought PlayStation 3’s because Naughty Dog’s title got such a glowing reception, all the fanboyism and console bias evaporated, the game’s quality took centre stage, it couldn’t be ignored.

Software is the only reason to buy one gaming machine over another, but I don’t see either next gen console offering even a hint of a killer app at the moment.msv858 (Twitter)

Waiting for the inevitable
I usually wait a year or so into the life of a new console for a good collection of games and the price to come down a bit. The last time I bought a launch console was for the first PlayStation and that was to be able to play Ridge Racer, WipEout and Destruction Derby to name just a few.

When I bought the PlayStation 3 I waited until Gran Turismo 5 was released for it. I love the series and over the years that is the game I have played the most. I have also fallen for the Uncharted series as well as a few other gems.

I will probably buy a PlayStation 4 when Grand Turismo 7 is released, along with the latest Uncharted style game.Choppa299

When and if
I enjoyed playing Mario Kart Wii and the two Wii Zelda games and the guarantee of Wii U versions persuaded me to buy one. The fact that the other consoles don’t have them is another push.

I wouldn’t have bought a Wii U otherwise, particularly with the low sales. I don’t know if this will adversely affect online Mario Kart gaming? I hope not.

In fact Rayman Legends looked so good I bought a Wii U with it’s release, although that game only decided when not if I would buy the console.Simon

Grappling with a new console
The first console I bought for myself was my Nintendo 64, purely on the strength of a magazine ad for WWF War Zone. Its 3D graphics looked almost photorealistic compared to the 16-bit wrestling games I’d played to death, so my birthday and Christmas money instantly belonged to Nintendo. The game itself wasn’t great when compared to other grappling titles to follow on the same system, but at the time I was enthralled. It felt like I was playing a live episode of Monday Night Raw! Outside of the ring I went on to enjoy a host of classic games from Super Mario 64 and Banjo-Kazooie to GoldenEye 007 and Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero. (Okay, forget the last one.)

When the time came to upgrade, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City played a large part in swaying me towards the PlayStation 2, but again it was a wrestling game that sealed the deal. This was a time when each console had its own distinct WWE game from THQ, and SmackDown: Here Comes The Pain seemed the better option. Luckily history agrees with me, as it’s still widely regarded as one of the best canvas brawlers alongside No Mercy on the Nintendo 64.

With the WWE franchise now being worn into the ground however these games no longer factor into my hardware choices. Lately it’s been Super Mario Galaxy and the Yakuza series drawing me to the Wii and PlayStation 3 respectively, when I already had an Xbox 360 for reasons that escape me now (though I think backwards compatibility with Shenmue II had a lot to do with it – something both Microsoft and Sony failed to account for in this new generation… and no, paying through the nose for last gen digital downloads doesn’t count).

Of the new crop of consoles, for my tastes only the Wii U has anything like a killer app, either on the market or in the pipeline. Super Mario 3D World has ensured the return of Nintendo as my first choice of platform this time round, though in this age of day jobs and backlogs it may still be Christmas before I’m handing over my money to the Big N.Dynamite Headdy (@2Tweet2BeSour)

Repeat offender
I have bought a console for, essentially, the sake of a single game several times now. Three in the last year alone.
I bought a Wii U to play Pikmin 3, and it still remains the only retail game I’ve bought for it (although I have played a bit of Nintendo Land and I’ve downloaded Super Metroid). In this case Pikmin 3 alone would not have been enough, but with several other games I was interested in on the horizon I decided to buy one.

Most recently, I bought a cheap US 2DS in order to play Rune Factory 4 when I found out that it’s European release had been cancelled. Considering the amount of hours I’ve put into it, I’d consider it worthwhile. And I may well also import certain US 3DS games in the future. Especially Atlus ones, which seem to get a European release a year later, if at all (Persona Q seems the next likely purchase).

Finally, my most worthwhile purchase. I bought a PS Vita solely to play Persona 4 Golden, a director’s cut of a game I had already played five times. And it was worth every penny, such is my love for that game. I have since also bought and played New Little King’s Story (despite also having played the original), and the announcement that Tales Of Hearts R is going to get a European release has me excited, but if the only game I ever played on it were Persona 4 Golden it would still have been more than worth it.

All things considered, you could probably rightly call me an idiot, or at least that I have more money than sense. And the funny thing is, sooner or later I’m going to do it again. I have a copy of Tales Of Vesperia sitting in a draw which I bought about six months ago. I do not have an Xbox 360. Eventually, I will buy one just to play that game.MakutaTeridax

Arcade at home
For me it’s a few games that have wanted me to buy a console. The first was Street Fighter II on the SNES, I’d been playing it in my local arcade and I saw a review for it in CVG and I had to play it at home so I did various odd jobs and saved up about £100 and my parents put the rest for a Xmas present (I was only 16 at the time). I played that game to death as it’s the only game I had for about five months. I’ve still got the SNES too with quite a few games, could never seem to part with it.

Next up was Virtua Fighter on the Saturn, after seeing it in a local arcade I had to have it! I was meant to be moving house to a new area with my parents so I thought it would be a good investment, so I got a loan from the bank and picked one up on release day. One month later and the price had dropped by £100. I was not amused. And I never did move house either.

Next was was a combination Grand Theft Auto: Vice City/Pro Evolution Soccer 2 and Metal Gear Solid 2 which caused me to part exchange my Dreamcast/Nintendo 64/PS one/ many games and numerous pads (of which some weren’t even mine) all to get the PlayStation 2.

I can’t even begin to explain the joy and wonderment of playing those games but for those that were there at that time you’ll know what I mean.

I’ve recently got the Metal Gear HD collection for the PlayStation 3 so am currently playing through Metal Gear Solid 2 again and its brilliant. And I’m really looking forward to playing Snake Eater as didn’t get round to completing it on the PlayStation 2.

Looking to the future I’m really tempted to pick up a Wii U after seeing Mario Kart 8 recently, it looks glorious and I know will be a proper good laugh playing online. Its my birthday in a few months so maybe…!Michael Crow

Gotta have it
A long time ago in a Gamestation far far from being shut down, I noticed Mass Effect on the Xbox 360. The reviews for this game were outstanding with different choices changing the gameplay and the space opera feel being one of the best in the gaming world. It instantly spoke to the Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic fan in me.

After buying a used Wii from Amazon many years back (which came with a bunch of retro games purchased buy the previous owner still on the console – result!) it was left to collect dust, as I never really got into the one-player aspect of the console. Don’t get me wrong, with friends over it was always on, basketball on Wii Sports Resort being the favourite. To this day none of us ever completed a perfect round of that, A bit of a gaming regret of mine actually.

As I gazed upon the dodgy box art, I felt my heart starting to beat and I knew what I had to do. Within minutes I had packed up the Wii and brought it back to the store and left moments later with a brand new Xbox 360 Elite and that copy of Mass Effect. To this day it was still one of the best decisions I have made. The Mass Effect trilogy being perhaps the best collection of games I have ever played.

I would complete each game twice as paragon, then renegade. Landing on a planet for the first time in the Mako is still a gaming highlight of mine. A shame it was replaced with planet scanning as it really opened up the scope of the universe. All downloadable content was purchased and bumping into characters in later games really did feel like a school reunion.

Then to my horror the whole saga was later released on PlayStation 3. The Xbox eventually turned into a dust magnet with the occasional use for the Trials games. But it was totally worth it.Hollinho (PSN ID/Twitter)

Shoot to kill(er app)
This really is a no-brainer! Any gamer who knows their stuff will tell you good shoot ’em-ups sell systems. If it wasn’t for Halo no one would of had an Xbox in their house, and TimeSplitters made me own a PlayStation 2!
Loved the difficulty, graphics and most importantly they set new levels of quality, graphics and gameplay! I’m sure GoldenEye 007 had a part in enticing the casual and otaku to Nintendo 64! Something went downhill when online gaming became the norm…Toby brown

Close but not cigar
Contemplating the weekend Hot Topic it was then I realised I haven’t bought many consoles specifically for a game(s), since I’m familiar with the role of early adopter. There are two exceptions which stand out however; Virtua Fighter was the reason I bought a Sega Saturn. Halo: Combat Evolved sold Xbox to me, which I regard as my favourite launch title to date, and suspect it won’t ever be bettered in terms of lasting impact.

Not that I recall being stumped for games to play too often. Star Wars: Shadows Of The Empire on the Nintendo 64 kept me entertained, and Ridge Racer on PS one ignited my passion for racing games.

When I purchased an Xbox 360 it was primarily my overeagerness to embrace HD gaming, but thankfully the excellent Call Of Duty 2 helped justify my impatience. Buying a PlayStation 3 at launch is probably my biggest regret, which is unsurprising given the expense. My experience is summed up by not being able recollect the launch games I played on it.

In regards to PlayStation 4, I was enticed by the best console versions of Call Of Duty and Battlefield, but not out of necessity – future potential was foremost in my thinking. It was a few months later when Xbox One grabbed my attention, but it was the multimedia capabilities as much as Titanfall which persuaded me to take a punt. I reckon I’ll be one of a few excited by the recent TV series announcements.

On reflection I don’t feel the next gen launch line-ups compare too favourably with past generations. Not that the games are necessarily bad, but it says it all when the best titles available are sequels, Titanfall being the notable exception. I still wouldn’t describe Titanfall as a bona fide system seller, and not being exclusive to a single format is perhaps most crucial.

Titanfall has come the closest to killer app status this gen, but without a compelling single-player campaign, it falls a long way short of achieving classic status.Up4Banter